Carta Fiorentina
by
Laine Farley
 Some bookmark collectors specialize in a type of material or a certain publisher/producer or a style. My collection is exceedingly eclectic, for better or worse. Within my collection are several mini-collections, some of which came about quite by accident. I learned of a name for one such collection only by doing research for this column, and even then, it’s not completely certain that I found the right terminology. This mini-collection is based on a distinctive design style that has both ancient and modern manifestations but almost always originates in Italy, especially in Florence. The designs are characterized by intricate leaves and flowers with a vining effect. Many designs have metallic gold highlights and accents and most have lovely coloring of reddish-pink, blue, green and yellow. The Wikipedia article on “Bookmark” includes an illustration of this type of bookmark.  The same source describes three types of Florentine paper: carta pavone or peacock paper that mimics the feathers of the showy bird; carta marmorizzata or marble paper that is often used on the inside covers of books; and carta fiorentina which includes the fleur-de-lis, the Florentine coat of arms. None of these descriptions matches the floral design that is so distinctive so it is not clear whether fiorentina applies to both the floral and the fleur-de-lis since they often appear together. An article by Susan Lumsden titled “Marbled Paper from Florence” in the New York Times (December 13, 1987), provides a fascinating glimpse into this technique known as “ebru” or the art of the clouds. She observed that “the tight, stylized, characteristically Islamic interplay of form and color made marble paper ideal for the flyleafs of leather-bound, handwritten books. With the invention of the printing press and the diffusion of cheaper texts, marbled paper effectively constituted the first paperback revolution when it jumped from the inner to the outer covers of books.” Florence is one of the last surviving locations where marbled paper is made “with its old artisan economy grafted onto the airborne tourist trade of the 20th century. Nothing is lighter or easier to take home than a sheet of handmade carta marmorizzata, which sells in Florence’s three main marbled paper shops for less than $8.” In an interview with Gabriele Gianinni whose Florence shop makes marbled paper, he noted that not a single Italian text exists on the subject; rather, that its secrets closely held by the remaining artisans. His shop sold a number of items with the marbled paper including bookmarks for fifty cents. Lumsden included one tantalizing sentence relating the marbled paper to the floral style: “It was the English pre-Raphaelite revival with its fascination for illuminated Gothic manuscripts, particularly the flowery first letter, that was the inspiration for Florentine paper, which is machine made, widely sold and not to be confused with marbled paper.” Even if the floral style is less difficult to produce, it is no less appealing and shares some of the history of the marbled paper.  The Florentine fleur-de-lis is distinctive with the stamens posed between the petals. It appears in a heraldic badge on one bookmark design of which I have accidentally acquired four copies, several found in used books. Interestingly, one copy is a mirror image of the others. The fleur-de-lis also appears on a very old leather bookmark that appears hand-tooled and thus has a less ornate version of the flower motif. A number of other leather bookmarks from Italy also use the fleur-de-lis extensively.  Another common element is a medallion with a Renaissance image. An unusual leather bookmark, it has a more successful embossed interpretation of the floral motif with a circular medallion at the top containing the profile of a man with a red cap. A decagonal medallion with three embossed and gilted figures is attached by leather thongs. A circular medallion with a man in a red cap adorns a paper bookmark in my collection, this time labeled “Dante.” This figure also appears in a beautiful bookmark made in Milan advertising “Vincenzo Rey, Florentine Arts & Novelties” located in Florence and Boston with a 1912 calendar on the reverse. Although Mr. Rey’s bookmark/calling card/calendar was quite elegant and distinctive, he left no other marks about himself or his business that I could find.  Other medallion style bookmarks in my collection range from a Madonna and child on deckled paper to an angel holding a lily with delicate embossed Florentine motifs, to a set of ten with four different Madonna and Child representations and one wistful Renaissance lady. This set was labeled “Book – Marck, Made in Florence, Italy” and had a price sticker for fifty cents, truly a bargain souvenir.  A final unusual example defied both scanning and translation. My scanner finally froze after multiple attempts to capture its lovely design. It appears to be handpainted on parchment-like paper with a scene of the Roman Colosseum. The floral motifs are large and in the more unusual colors of purple and blue with metallic gold highlights. An ornate script conveys the following: “Nei buoni libri il sapere, il consiglio, il conforto,” which translated roughly to “in the good books of knowledge, advice, comfort.” A more felicitous translation could be rendered, but the general idea of associating books with knowledge, wisdom and comfort is easily recognized. Regardless of its name, the Florentine, fiorentina or fiorenza style makes a beautiful bookmark. Bookmark specifications: [Florentine design on leather]
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